The dilemma surrounding the Washington Commanders' wide receiver situation gets trickier by the week. Antonio Williams was selected at No. 71 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and there's a chance he enters training camp as WR2. But it's far from a sure thing.
Brandon Aiyuk has been a hot rumor to the Commanders for months, reportedly wanting to play with his close friend and former Arizona State teammate, Jayden Daniels. Now, the availability and legal clearance of four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs has thrown yet another wrench into Washington's potential plans.
Diggs, who grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has expressed openness toward joining his childhood hometown team. Aiyuk, if the San Francisco 49ers end up releasing him, is also still on the table. What will general manager Adam Peters do?
Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan pondered the situation surrounding Williams, who the Commanders are counting on to develop into at least a reliable secondary option for Daniels if they have hopes for long-term contention. Right now, the former Clemson standout is waiting to find out just how much the organization believes in him.
"If you bring (Diggs) in, you are absolutely slowing down the chances of Antonio Williams helping you in the short term, because Stefon Diggs and him are similar players. With both of these guys, they talk about route running. If you bring him in, you're taking Antonio Williams and saying, "We'll see you in a season."
The temptation is certainly understandable with Diggs, who was still productive for the New England Patriots last season at age 32. He caught 85 passes for 1,013 receiving yards and four touchdowns, helping his team reach the Super Bowl. The biggest concern was that a potential league suspension stemming from his domestic case would render him unsignable, but that has now been resolved.
Still, the Commanders have a tough decision on their hands.
They need to prioritize youth badly after last year. Specifically at wide receiver, their two young prospects, Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane, have thus far developed only as return specialists. They can't afford to bury Williams on their depth chart, either.
Washington also can't waste another year of Daniels' rookie contract with the possibility of no weapons at wideout aside from Terry McLaurin. It's no guarantee that Williams will pan out in the NFL, let alone as a rookie. If they add Diggs or Aiyuk, that problem is immediately solved in theory.
It's a conundrum that could go wrong in multiple ways. Peters and company will have to hope that whatever call they make turns out to be the right one.
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